The Room formed in 1979 with an initial line-up of Dave Jackson (vocals), Robyn Odlum (guitar), Becky Stringer (bass), and Clive Thomas (drums, percussion).
[3] They released a cassette album Bitter Reaction in 1980 and two double A-sided singles, "Waiting Room" / "Motion" (1980) and "Bated Breath" / "In Sickness and Health" (1981) via Box.
1983 saw major changes to the line-up, with Odlum and Thomas departing to be replaced by ex-Wild Swans drummer Alan Wills, guitarist Paul Cavanagh, and keyboard player Peter Baker.
Brass player Phil Lucking was added to the line-up in 1984, but departed before third album, In Evil Hour, which was part-produced by Tom Verlaine,[2] who the band had played several dates with earlier that year, the remainder produced by John Porter.
and In Evil Hour were later reissued as a double-LP set, titled Nemesis, and an EP of one of the band's four sessions for John Peel's programme was issued by Strange Fruit Records in 1988.